Want to save the planet? Get there with renewable energy jobs

Australia is an energy-rich country, producing three times the amount of energy we need. While 63% of our energy is generated by burning coal, renewable energy sources are everywhere, from the heat seeping out from below the Earth’s surface to the energy produced by our tides and oceans.

“Renewables have only scratched the surface of their full potential,” says Dr Sven Teske, research director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney.

There are hundreds of science-based renewables career paths to choose from. You could become an expert in acoustics to help reduce wind turbine noise. Or, join a company like Wave Swell Energy, which converts the energy in ocean waves into clean electricity. Like renewable energy itself, the career options are limitless.

Sven believes that while “solar and wind technologies will dominate renewable energy over the coming decades”, water and geothermal energy are also hot topics.

“Once you have found your source of motivation, I am sure the renewable industry will find a way to benefit from your individual skills,” Sven adds. – Ben Skuse